Association News
Below, you’ll find the latest Association press releases, updates on our upcoming events, introductions to our newest member companies, links to the latest content from Music Biz and our partners, and more.
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September 15, 2026 – The Future of What Episode #302 — The Evolution of Metadata Management: Celebrating DDEX’s 20th Anniversary with Secretariat Mark Isherwood
The music industry is constantly evolving and integrating new technologies, bringing with them both opportunities and challenges. But when it comes to metadata management, DDEX has seen our industry greatly improve since its inception in 2006. In this episode, DDEX Secretariat Mark Isherwood shares his observations over the years as the organization 20th anniversary approaches, addressing current AI discussions and uses as they pertain to metadata, how fear around sharing data has diminished over the last 10 years,... Click Here To Listen
September 9, 2026 – [Keeping Tempo With Music Biz] — The Album Is No Longer a Finished Product: Op-Ed from ZATAP’s David Geisser
Why chart-eligible smart formats can turn physical music into a living fan relationship For years, the music industry treated physical and digital as opposing categories: physical was the object, collectible and emotionally resonant; digital was the experience, immediate and easy to update. That line is blurring. A new generation of smart music formats blends the permanence of a physical product with the flexibility of a digital platform. Fans can buy a mini cassette, mini CD, premium album package or another NFC-enabled collectible,... Click Here To Read
September 8, 2026 – The Future of What Episode #301 — 100 Years of the Jukebox and What Comes Next: A Conversation with AMI Entertainment’s Tommy Moreno
The jukebox has existed as a catalyst for communal music discovery for nearly a century, with the anniversary of AMI Entertainment’s production of the first coin-operated jukebox coming up in 2027. To celebrate, we spoke with AMI CEO Tommy Moreno about the company’s rich history & innovations, as well as the pros & cons of the jukebox’s evolution into a digital format. Tommy also spotlights how AMI is continuing to evolve & bolster the industry by delivering more royalties on a per-play basis compared to streaming platforms and transforming their app into a more gamified,... Click Here To Listen
August 31, 2026 – The Future of What Episode #300 — mtheory’s Cameo Carlson on the Chinese Reality Show That Launched Mickey Guyton Overseas
To be a successful artist management team means to be willing to think outside the box, which is just what mtheory CEO Cameo Carlson and team have done with artist Mickey Guyton, a Country singer who did not have traditional revenue lines in place like touring or radio. In this episode, Cameo recounts the story of how a C2C Festival appearance in London led to Mickey placing second on China’s The Singer, and the massive Chinese fanbase and tour that followed.... Click Here To Listen
August 26, 2026 – MUSIC BIZ IN MILAN: Music Tech Summit Returns to CES Unveiled Oct. 21st!
The Music Business Association is thrilled to reprise their collaboration with CES, the most powerful tech event in the world! Both organizations are headed to Milan for CES Unveiled Europe, bringing the intersection of music, technology, and innovation to the stage. Music Biz is proud to host two dynamic panels during its Music Tech Summit on Wednesday, October 21st — one spotlighting cutting-edge tech startups as they navigate and scale their go-to-market strategies across the U.S.... Click Here To Read
August 25, 2026 – The Future of What Episode #299 — The Small Ticket Add-On Making a Huge Difference: A Chat with PLUS1’s Marika Anthony-Shaw
PLUS1 has raised just about $40 million for over 1,200 nonprofits, with their keystone project being a small add-on of $1 per concert ticket to be donated to a charitable organization of an artist’s choice. The idea grew out of founder Marika Anthony-Shaw reading a book about Paul Farmer – founder of the organization Partners in Health – while touring with Arcade Fire, leading the band to support the nonprofit for several years. For the other artists and bands who have the desire to give back in this way,... Click Here To Listen
August 11, 2026 – The Future of What Episode #298 — Connecting The Industry’s Most Important Assets: How Openstage Nurtures the Artist-Fan Relationship
The artist-fan relationship is arguably one of the most important in our industry, yet it is often undermined – management of each different aspect is often spread across platforms, and artist websites & channels are usually underutilized as connection points. Rob Sealy noticed this discrepancy and, with no prior experience in the music industry, co-founded Openstage to pull fans into owned channels that create an immersive, personalized experience for fans of artists at all stages of their career.... Click Here To Listen
July 28, 2026 – The Future of What Episode #297 — It Takes a Village: A Conversation on DEI with The Orchard’s Naledi Nyahuma Seck
Fostering equity and inclusion is a collective effort — and though DEI roles have taken a hit in our industry, the experts and community leaders are still out there. During Music Biz 2026, Naledi Nyahuma Seck, VP of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at The Orchard, joined us to discuss this tumultuous stage and potential for the future, zoning in on the importance of supporting diversity in the music ecosystem at large. She also speaks on her role and the responsibilities it entails,... Click Here To Listen
July 15, 2026 – [Keeping Tempo With Music Biz] — AI is Making the Industry More Efficient (and More Fragile): Op-Ed from SongShift’s Brandon Kirby
Senior leaders across industries are under growing pressure to build leaner, faster, and more efficient teams and organisations. Advances in AI are accelerating expectations around productivity, automation, and operational scale at the exact moment teams are being asked to deliver more with fewer resources. But many organisations are overlooking a far more consequential risk emerging underneath these changes. As companies compress operational layers and reduce headcount, they also reduce many of the environments where leadership capability was traditionally identified and developed.... Click Here To Read
July 14, 2026 – The Future of What Episode #296 — How Secretly Found Success by Sticking to Their Indie Roots: An Interview with Shelly Worcel!
Secretly has seen the industry go through many changes, and with it so has Shelly Worcel, who went from intern to Director of Global Physical Account Strategy during her 14 years at their distribution arm. Though the company has grown exponentially over the years, they still maintain their independent mindset – remaining flexible and willing to experiment without jumping ship during times of change, like the transition from physical to digital, the shift away from radio,... Click Here To Listen
